The sabbatical logs-7/2015 to 5/2016

​Janina.  85 years old.  Born in Poland.  Currently living in Norridge, Illinois
 
Interviewed Janina, a Polish woman who had very detailed memories of WWII.  I remember being moved by her facial expressions and her moments of silence as she told her story.  She would sometimes get very serious and the lines around her eyes and lip would change from an upward direction to a downward direction and then to a straight and firm line.  She’d look at me and then up, as if she was thinking, or couldn’t quite remember everything, or maybe she was just struggling to find the correct translation of the word she knew in Polish or in Russian into English.  The interview was conducted in English.  (I will be translating most of the interview into Italian or I may leave it for my students to translate--a good lesson plan idea).  Janina spoke English well yet with a Polish accent that added warmth to her chilling personal WWII stories.  She was also humorous and her facial lines would move from a straight line to curves that moved in unison with her laughter.  It made me smile.  It was humbling hearing her memories come to life again.  She wanted to share.  She was excited to share her story and would sometimes hesitate and ask,  ‘should I say this?’ yet would not wait for the answer—she just continued to tell her story.